George Washington Printables

George Washington was the first president of the United States. He was born on February 22, 1732, in Virginia. George was the son of landowner and tobacco grower, Augustine Washington, and his second wife Mary. 

Washington's father died when George was just 11-years-old. His older brother Lawrence, son of Augustine and his first wife (who died in 1729), Jane, became George's guardian. He made sure that George and his siblings were well cared for.

Washington, who longed for adventure, tried to join the British Navy at age 14, but his mother refused to allow it. At age 16, he became a surveyor so he could explore the Virginia frontier.

A short time later, George joined the Virginia militia. He proved himself to be a competent military leader and went on to fight in the French and Indian War as a major.

After the war, George married Martha Custis, a young widow with two small children. Although George and Martha never had children together, he loved his step-children dearly. He was devastated when the youngest, Patsy, died just before the American Revolution. 

When his step-son, Jacky, also died during the Revolutionary War, Martha and George adopted Jacky's two children and raised them.

With the land that he acquired through his military service and his marriage to Martha, George became a rather wealthy landowner. In 1758, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, an assembly of elected leaders in the state.

Washington attended both the First and Second Continental Congress meetings. When the American colonies went to war against Great Britain, George was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the colonial militia.

After the American forces defeated the British in the Revolutionary War, George Washington was unanimously elected as the new county's first president by the electoral college. He served two terms as president from 1789 to 1797. Washington stepped down from the office because he believed that presidents should not serve more than two terms. (Franklin Roosevelt was the only president to serve more than two terms.)

George Washington died on December 14, 1799.

Introduce your students to our country's first president with these free printables.